


Playtime

by gr8escap



Series: Outer Peace [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Recovering, Coffee Shops, Frenemies Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson, Gen, Male Friendship, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Seizures, Service Dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 17:12:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7692772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gr8escap/pseuds/gr8escap





	Playtime

“I don’t know what to do, Sam. I think I’m making progress with her by following your lead, bring tea, offer it quietly, and don’t force conversation. I walk the dog because that’s what I’ve been hired to do. She’s nice, and then she’s just plain mean. I really think Dizzy could benefit from some time spent with other dogs, and Athos and Porthos really like him, but she only wants one-on-one time for him. She’s isolating him like she’s isolating herself. I get that he’s a _working dog_ , but he’s a **_dog_**.”

“Try offering a little play-time with the dogs pro bono, one day a week. Give her some of those fliers and pamphlets about dog care and include one about socialization.” Sam said as he looked out the window across the street from the coffee shop. “Everything has to be her idea. It’s tough, but it works eventually.”

“Why do I sense that you’re amused by this?”

“Because I am. I was a very open and accepting person before I met you.”

“Coulda fooled me.” Bucky said. “Just like that we’re supposed to be cool?” Sam was almost impressed with Bucky’s imitation of him.

“I was in a strange place.” Sam waved Bucky off. “Might have had something to do with being thrown from a helicarrier. Or shot at, or kicked. Or maybe when you nearly bashed my head the same day I said that.”

“I know.” Bucky shook his head apologetically. “I get it Wilson.”

“Be patient. She hasn’t done _any_ of those things to you.”

“You’re right.” Bucky allowed a slow smile.

“You also have to face the fact that she might never want to be _your_ friend. I’m not slammin’ you, just sayin, she might not be the kind of person who will want to relate with you, or even me.”

Not slammin’ me _this time_.” Bucky countered.

“Don’t get used to it.” Sam said as he crumpled his pastry paper and napkin together. “Next thing you know you’ll start expecting compliments on your clothes or somethin’.”

“If you started complimenting my clothes, I’d go get a whole new wardrobe and get rid of anything you liked.”

“Have to shop somewhere better than goodwill for me to compliment your rags.”

“I’ll have you know, this is a perfectly good jacket. Just because I know where to find a bargain. I pity the people that shop in the thrift store you donate to, talk about ragged.”

“Man, shut up. You wouldn’t know quality if it bit you on the ass.”

“Was that you volunteering?” Bucky said, sliding his thumb into the waistband of his jeans and slipping the fabric down two inches.

“I’ve never been that desperate in my life.”

“Come to think of it, neither have I.” Bucky smirked. “I’d have to sink pretty low to let you anywhere near my quality ass.”

“If it isn’t the lovebirds.” Steve said from behind the squabbling pair. “Sorry I’m late.”

“You haven’t missed a thing, Wilson here thinks he’s the be-all, end-all of quality fashion and people skills. And I’m no bird. This canary here, he’s the only bird I see.”

“and yet, you’re still bickering like an old married couple.” Steve said as he walked past them to the counter for his order.

“Did you invite him?” Bucky asked Sam, loudly enough to be heard over the distance.

“No, he’s like your clothes, desperately hanging on.” Sam matched Bucky for volume.

“I’d say if you don’t like my clothes you can buy me new ones, but we’ve already established your taste, or the lack of it.” They heard some girls at the next table trying to stifle their snickers and they had to bite back grins of their own.

“So, what I should do is just shut up, do my thing, and let her come to me, if she wants to. I hate it, because she seems, most of the time any more, like she’s going to do something to hurt herself. She’s shutting herself off more since I started walking Dizzy than she was before. She doesn’t even come to meetings anymore, and I haven’t been doing anything different there either.”

“It’s not about you. You have to remember this is all about her. It’s good to watch for signs, but don’t make it personal, until you actually _do_ something to mess up, then acknowledge it. She’s still reaching out to you to help the dog. Be there for that. You can always use the times you are in contact with her to subtly watch for new signs, but don’t push her.” Sam said as he moved the newspaper aside so Steve could set his coffee in its place, “Better yet, work on the dog, make sure he’s getting all of his needs fulfilled and leave her to me and her therapists. She’ll know you’re there as a friend if she ever wants to reach out.”

“Better yet. I don’t see how that’s better.”

“Is this about that girl Karrie? I’d listen to Sam, Buck. He knows this end of this stuff better than you or I do.”

“I was telling him watch for signs of distress but stay back, she doesn’t want more than that right now.”

“And I was telling _him_ I’m worried about her.”

“What you said was you were worried that you were being left out.”

“I didn’t say that. _You_ heard that, when I said I was worried about her and that I didn’t think I’d done anything to scare her away. Oh, and I’m worried about her dog. That was the meat of the thing.”

“No, the dog was your excuse. Still is.”

“No, Dizzy’s not an excuse; I’m genuinely worried about him. I know he’s fine for now. But it’s in his best interests to socialize with other dogs.” Bucky replied passionately.

“And we’ve covered how to manage that. I have faith you’ll get that done. Let everything else come naturally.” Sam reiterated.

“Well it sounds like you’re both right.”

“Thanks Captain Obvious.” Bucky said, but there was humor, not malice, in his tone. “How were the boys when you left them?”

“Favoring those frozen treats you give them and ignoring me. Until I jingled the keys, then they tried to give me the eye.”

“Puppy dog eyes, four of them, _very_ hard to resist.” Bucky nodded, looking at Sam, “He’s caved before.”

“And they remember I’m weak.” Steve confirmed. “I almost caved again.”

Bucky laughed, enjoying the fact that even though he was handed a rough time bringing home two rescues instead of just one, and neither of them were certified (or even trained) service dogs, which was what he’d initially been going for, Steve was falling for his boys.

He typically only left them crated for a short while, when he was caring for someone’s dog who wanted one-on-one, or if he had business that he felt comfortable tending to without one or both dogs.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t get a trained service dog after all the talk.” Sam said, as though he had read Bucky’s thoughts.

“You know I couldn’t leave them. Poor Porthos, half-starved and Athos had bonded to him in the time they’d known each other. I had to do something.”

“I know. You had to right a wrong.” Sam waved him off. “and you’re still without a service dog.”

“I have two. They’re just not certified.”

“They’re trained? You have them trained to do what you need them to do? Then you know they don’t have to be certified.”

“Yeah, Athos seems to have it in him to be an all-around balm. First, he befriended Porthos in his time of need and he’s been the first to learn the room sweep exercises and turning the lights off and on. Porthos follows, he hasn’t picked up on all of my triggers yet, but _he’s_ good about sensing the seizures.”

“Since he’s not here, I’m guessing those are relatively under control?” Sam asked thoughtfully.

“No, I just like to live dangerously. I haven’t had one in a week, I was at home when it happened, and he reacted like a champ. I know I should bring him with me, I’m still getting used to taking them everywhere; honestly, I need to work on that.”

“Listen, you don’t have to prove anything. You’ve taken the time to train them to perform these tasks; you are entitled to them by law. Take one or both of them every day.”

“I know. Why do I get the feeling this was a setup? I mean _you_ …” he pointed at Steve, “are being remarkably quiet, even for you.”

“If I were trying to set you up with an intervention about taking one or both dogs, don’t you think I’d have brought them with me?”

“No, because then you could say what you just did and be all innocent.”

“Buck, the most important thing is the seizures. You really should bring Porthos with you until they’re under control.”

“Hah! I knew it, couldn’t be simple coffee between friends.” Bucky said.

Steve was shocked that the conversation was so mellow, Bucky’s reply was mellow, and he even had a hint of a smile. “Well, what else would we talk about over coffee?”

“Dogs, yes. My health? Not so much.”

“Yes, because we care.” Steve responded to Bucky’s dismissal.

“He cares; I just don’t want to have to put up with him if something happens to your sorry ass.” Sam piped in.

“I knew how _you_ felt.” Bucky said, flippantly. “Doc says I take the pills and they reduce the chance of seizures but also impede the serum correcting the issue. He also says one big seizure and ‘ **bam** ’. So I don’t take the pills. I guess I should bring Porthos around more often.”

“ _That’s_ how you tell me how serious this is?” Sam asked, eyes wide with shock, or was it terror?

“Sorry Sam. You might be rid of me sooner than you’d hoped. Then again, I might beat it. Talk about Russian Roulette.”

Steve gave Sam a look that _clearly_ said ‘this is what I live with; you think you’ve got problems.’

“Man, listen. I can’t live without you, I need someone to tear down on the regular. You have to…”

“’Have to’ what Sam? Take the pills and keep the problem or try to fix the problem? I know, it’s dangerous. If I die, it’s because I’ve lived too long. If the serum catches up before the ‘big one’ then it was meant to be.”

“Why haven’t you wrapped him in bubble wrap yet and locked him in his room?” Sam asked Steve, who just looked between his friends with a sort of sad smile.

“I can’t do that. I wouldn’t do that. He’s made his choices.”

“Yeah, one freezer nap later and now he’s got more issues to deal with and he’s making stupid choices again.”

“I didn’t know you cared.” Bucky tried to lighten the mood.

“I don’t. I told you, anything happens to you and I’m stuck with _him_.”

“It’s like you told me earlier with Karrie. You have to pick your battles.”

“One battle you don’t get to pick, next time I see you, you’d better have that seizure sniffing dog with you, or I’ll go get him.” Sam said, brooking no arguments.

“Let’s drop it. I’ll start bringing Porthos with me; I won’t keep taking the meds. What else was on the agenda?”

“You not dying takes up most of the agenda, actually.” Steve said. “Just how do you plan on averting the ‘big one’? as you put it.”

“I don’t, Steve. I just don’t plan. I don’t _think_ it’s gonna happen. If I’m right, we all win.”

“Great.” Steve said, at a loss for words, again. This conversation was new, but the reality was something he’d been made aware of right after Bucky had gotten the info. Brain damage was still being repaired by the serum, but in the process, the seizure disorder presented. The serum would correct that as well, in time. If Bucky _had_ the time.

“C’mon, I’m gonna be fine. I will.” Bucky said, “Did you get those tickets? We should try to get tickets and go to the game.”

Steve slapped three tickets onto the table, “we have tickets.” He said with a smile. “You have to go get the dog.”

After a detour to their apartment, the trio, plus one dog, made their way to the stadium for an afternoon of baseball, beers, and hotdogs. No more talk of seizure disorders or worries about Karrie or Dizzy. All of those things still existed, just not on the baseball diamond.


End file.
